The Water Acquisition Grant Program considers grant applications that acquire an interest in water from a willing seller or lessor, or to implement projects that result in contractually protected instream flow. The program purpose is to maintain or restore instream flows to benefit watersheds and native fish and wildlife habitat.
Donor Name: Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
State: Oregon
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/13/2023
Details:
The Water Acquisition Grant Program considers grant applications that acquire an interest in water from a willing seller or lessor, or to implement projects that result in contractually protected instream flow.
OWEB encourages prospective applicants to coordinate with state agencies such as Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW), and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) to better understand their priorities, how the proposed project aligns with those priorities, and/or how any other agency voluntary flow protection programs could be utilized.
Eligible Projects
- Any proposal to acquire an interest in water that results in protected instream flows is eligible for funding consideration. Projects must address either identified conservation needs of habitats or species (as determined by ODFW) or improving water quality in water-quality-limited areas (as determined by DEQ).
- Projects must result in Legally or Contractually Protected Instream Flows to address either:
Identified conservation needs of habitats and species as determined by Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
(ODFW); or
• Improving water quality in a water-quality-limited area as determined by Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality (ODEQ). - Eligible project types include, but are not limited to, the following1:
- Instream Lease: the conversion of all or a portion of an existing water use to an instream water right for a specified time-period. The use must be a type that is legally eligible to be transferred instream for that timeperiod.
- Split-Season Use Instream Lease: an instream lease in which the water right can be used for both the existing purpose of the water right and for an instream purpose. The split-season instream lease must take place during the same season defined by the water right and during the same calendar year. The water must not be used for the existing purpose during the period in which water is to be protected instream.
- Time-Limited Instream Transfer: an instream transfer that is not permanent. The water right will revert back to its original use at the end of the period of time specified in the final order approving the instream transfer, or upon determination by OWRD that other conditions for termination have been met, in accordance with the final order.
- Conserved Water Projects through OWRD’s Allocation of Conserved Water Program: this voluntary program allows a water user who conserves water (e.g., through efficiency improvements) to use a portion of that water on additional lands and allowing for new uses of water. In exchange for granting the user the right to allocate a portion of the conserved water, at least 25% of the conserved water is dedicated to instream use. OWEB funds can be used to cover the costs of the efficiency improvements (e.g., piping or lining of canals and ditches, converting to drip irrigation), however the portion of conserved water returned instream increases with the percentage of public funds used for efficiency improvements. For example, if OWEB funds 50% of the efficiency improvements, 50% of the conserved water must be transferred instream. The higher the percentage of conserved water proposed to be transferred instream, the more competitive the application is likely to be.
- Permanent Instream Transfer: the permanent conversion of all or a portion of an existing water use to an instream water right. The water use must be legally eligible to be transferred.
- Water Use Agreement: legal agreement between a water right holder and an eligible grant applicant to conserve water or achieve protected instream flow. Examples of water use agreements include minimum flow agreements and forbearance agreements.
For more information, visit OWEB.
